Elevator Music
by iGoToExtremes
Summary: AU - Finn and Rachel work in the same building and get stuck in an elevator together. ***Now multi-chapter and rated M.***
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is in response to a prompt from **effywrites**: _AU Finn and Rachel work in the same building and have always had crushes on each other but never actually spoken. One day they get stuck in an elevator and Finchelness ensues... :)_

Hope you like it!

I don't own the Glee characters. Or Pace University. Or NYU.

* * *

Rachel lived for schedules and routines.

Every weekday, she woke up at 6 a.m. for her elliptical workout, and got herself showered and ready for an 8 a.m. class. After her second morning class, she had just enough time to eat a healthy lunch and grab a coffee before taking the subway to midtown for her internship at a casting agency. She wasn't entirely sure if the experience would be useful in her career as a Broadway starlet, but she firmly believed in maintaining a well-rounded and robust resume. In lieu of payment she received class credit, which saved her from a few hours of arcane college lecture hall education before her evenings of rehearsals and studying.

It also didn't hurt that the agency shared office space with a music production firm owned by the same parent company, mainly because she occasionally crossed paths with their devastatingly handsome mailroom guy. He was very tall with wide, bright, cinnamon-colored eyes and messy dark brown hair. His stature gave him a somewhat lumbering gait and his face practically gleamed with boyish naivete and charm. She figured him to be about her own age and wondered if he attended another college in the city. For all she knew he might also be a student at NYU, their paths never crossing on campus due to the school's size and sprawling nature.

Of course, whenever he was in the vicinity Rachel couldn't bear to make eye contact and averted her gaze before things could turn awkward. He was so blatantly attractive and probably had tons of female attention already, and she didn't have time to compete for his eye while she was focusing on her budding career. Nonetheless, she thoroughly enjoyed the spontaneous instances when he'd bring a package into her bosses' office suite, or help Sal, the agency's mailroom attendant, distribute office supplies. Anything that required him to bend over was a particularly enjoyable task from her vantage point at the small desk in the corner of her bosses' reception area.

She sighed as she entered the lobby of the office building, nodding to the gentlemen at the security desk before calling for the elevator. After a moment one arrived and she entered it. Just as she pushed "5", she heard a voice from the lobby.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!"

* * *

"Fuck fuck fuck."

Finn muttered to himself as he ran at breakneck speed to catch the elevator. How he let himself be this late to work he had no idea. He purposefully took the music production mailroom job because the schedule was sweet – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 to 6. All of his classes were on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 onward, meaning he never had to wake up before 10. Yet, somehow, he let himself oversleep that morning (his Halo session with Mike went late, but not that much later than usual) and here it was already 12:55 and he was first arriving at the office. He'd phoned ahead to his supervisor, who said not to worry about it and get in as soon as he could make it, but Finn was still pissed off about missing out on an hour's pay.

"Thanks," he said gratefully as he squeezed into the about-to-close elevator, his breath catching in his throat when he saw who was inside, graciously holding the "door open" button.

It was her. The cute, petite casting agency intern who he sometimes saw around the office.

"You're welcome," she replied, offering a shy smile as their eyes met before looking down at the floor in front of her while he pressed "7".

Four years ago she wasn't someone Finn would've found attractive at all. But that was before he had his heart ripped out and his future nearly stolen from him by Quinn. And before he escaped Ohio for the bustle of New York City and exposed himself to new experiences.

He really wanted to _experience _ the small wavy-haired girl, but he figured she wouldn't be interested in him. She always looked so put-together and sophisticated in her proper (but awesomely short!) skirts and dresses. Meanwhile he felt totally uncomfortable in his business casual Dockers and button-up shirts… all of which were purchased by his mom.

As the elevator rose upward he tried not to fidget, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She looked especially pretty today with most of her hair in a loose knot at her neck and a few pieces hanging around her face.

Suddenly, between floors 2 and 3, there was a loud screech and the elevator came to an abrupt halt, jostling them both.

The girl gasped. "Oh no!" She found the emergency call button and quickly pressed it a few times.

"Great," Finn muttered. "I'm late as it is."

She didn't even acknowledge his comment as she nervously inspected the panel of buttons and looked up at the corners of the ceiling as if it held the answer to the stalled elevator.

After a moment there was some crackling and a voice came over the intercom speaker. "Yeah, we see you're stuck, elevator 2. Everyone okay in there?"

She looked at him, eyes serious, and he nodded to indicate that, yeah, he's perfectly all right aside from the lateness.

"Yes, we're fine," she replied to the voice, "But that doesn't mean we wish to perish in this stagnant vessel. Do you have any idea what the problem is?"

"No idea, ma'am. 'Fraid until we figure that out there's no telling when you'll be moving again. We'll let you know what we find."

The speaker crackled one last time and cut out.

"Well, this is certainly disappointing," she huffed in... exacerbation? Expiration? Some big word that Kurt always used when he meant pissed off. "I'll definitely be notifying the city's Department of Buildings about this malfunction. Someone in a position of authority needs to be aware of these matters." It looked like she had more to say but opted not to, shyly looking down again.

Finn nodded stupidly, unsure of what to say at all. After a moment he figured he might as well introduce himself if they were going to be stuck in the elevator together for God-knows how long.

"I'm Finn, by the way." He extended his hand.

"Rachel," she replied, eyes sparkling at him as they shook. Her hand was really small (like the rest of her).

Once they released the handshake Finn glanced around the elevator and took a seat on the floor. "We may be here a while. Just trying to get comfortable." He shrugged.

Rachel sighed but copied his action, daintily tucking her (sexy) legs to one side and fluffing her skirt out as she sat down.

* * *

"I've seen you around. You work for the casting agents."

Rachel nodded. She was glad that hot mailroom guy – _**Finn**_, she reminded herself of his name– was content on making conversation since it wasn't coming easily to her. "And you work for the music producers."

"Yep." His smile was so carefree and bright it lit up the dim, unmoving elevator. "But calling it 'work' is a little much. I'm really just a pack mule. Or sometimes a gopher."

Rachel laughed, trying not to blush too much under his dreamy gaze. "The tasks the agency has me perform are quite menial as well, but it's letting me see what goes on behind the scenes in the business." She paused before continuing confidently. "I'm going to be an actress. On Broadway. I've known as much since I was a toddler."

God, she needed a course on how to talk to boys. Santana would slap her if she heard this rambling.

"That's really cool." Finn's eyes were warm and genuine and that put her at ease.

"W-what about you?" she asked. "I mean, I assume the mule/gopher job is only temporary, or a means to an end."

"Yeah, I'm a business major at Pace. Working here makes me want to do something entertainment-related, I guess. But I'm not sure exactly." He paused and looked off in the distance while playing with his shoelace, seemingly indulging in a moment of shyness himself. "I never imagined myself going to college in New York. Or anywhere, really."

"Why? Where are you from?"

Finn sighed. "I'm from Lima, Ohio. And I thought I was going to be stuck there forever scraping by with some minimum wage job and a kid."

Rachel's face contorted in confusion at his statement, which carried a palpable dose of disdain despite the ease of Finn's diction.

Without any prompting from her, he continued. "My girlfriend got pregnant my sophomore year of high school. But it turned out the baby wasn't mine and she'd been cheating on me with my best friend the whole time we were together. She thought I'd be a better 'provider' long-term so she lied to get me to support her. And pretty much everyone else at school knew but me. I was too busy feeling guilty about the whole thing and trying to find a decent part-time job so that she'd stop yelling at me."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was like something out of a soap opera. "Finn, that's terrible," she said sympathetically, instantly afraid that she'd been _**too **_compassionate given the fact that she'd met this boy all of 10 minutes ago. "When did you find out the truth?"

"A few months before Dri— the baby was born. But that's not even the worst part," he continued, his lips forming a sardonic smirk.

Rachel instinctively leaned forward a little bit, morbidly curious about the rest of this sordid tale.

"Let's just say that Quinn – my girlfriend – and I didn't _do _anything together that would actually make a baby. But she convinced me otherwise, since I'm such a gullible dope. Or at least I was, back then." He chuckled a little to himself and Rachel couldn't help but join in at the adorable sound. She found it admirable that he was able to laugh at his prior naivete even though the ordeal was a clearly painful memory.

"Anyway, once I found out I felt SO stupid. I was going to give up my future and do whatever she and the baby needed. And... I guess I never really thought about how much I wanted to get out of Lima until it seemed like I never would, you know?"

Rachel nodded, even though his question was largely rhetorical.

"So, I spent the rest of high school getting my shit together, making for damn sure I got into a college outside of Ohio." His voice had the quiet and somber tone of painful honesty as his face grew steely again. "At first I thought football would be my ticket out since I was the quarterback but our team totally sucked. So my guidance counselor helped me get tutors and I studied my ass off to get decent grades. _**And**_ I worked in my stepdad's tire shop as much as I could to earn money for college."

"Sounds busy," Rachel commented, thinking back to her own high school years of dance classes and voice lessons and glee club rehearsals.

"Yeah. I didn't have much of a life my junior and senior years. Not that it mattered since my best friend was a liar and everyone else at school thought I was a moron."

* * *

Just then Finn's stomach growled loudly and he felt his face turn completely red. (As if the story he was telling wasn't embarrassing enough.)

"Didn't have time for breakfast on my way here. Whoops."

Rachel only laughed (it was a kinda sexy giggle, really) and reached into her purse. "Well it's a good thing that I'm _always _prepared." With that she pulled out two energy bars and handed one to him.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed before realizing what a bozo he sounded like. "I mean… thanks, Rachel." She giggled again and they smiled at each other for a beat, her eyes wide like saucers and just… beautiful.

"You're very welcome. But in the future, a healthy breakfast is very important!" she scolded playfully.

He returned the laughter and promised to eat breakfast every day, even if he was running late. They talked a little more about their schools and jobs while eating their snack, after which Rachel produced antibacterial hand sanitizer that smelled like apples and cinnamon.

Another few minutes passed without word from outside about the status of the busted elevator.

"You're the first person in New York who I've told," he said spontaneously. "About the baby drama, I mean."

Rachel exhaled. "It doesn't sound like an easy thing to deal with, even after a few years. But it's wonderful that you used the incident as motivation to get yourself here. I'm sure you'll be splendid at whatever career you choose to pursue, and provide excellent lives for any children that are actually yours."

Finn smiled at her encouraging and thoughtful words before noticing a brown smudge above her lip.

"You have a little chocolate, right… here." He reached over and rubbed it away with the pad of his thumb, feeling her tremble slightly as he did so.

Their eyes stayed locked as he withdrew his hand. Her face was really only inches from him and it looked hot, her olive skin glowing under the dim light of the elevator.

"You can kiss me if you want to," she said quietly.

"I want to." The words left his mouth before he even thought of them, like his brain was on autopilot.

Rachel responded with a little gasp, like she was surprised at his response. Didn't she know how gorgeous she was?

Finn licked his lips as he moved to sit a little closer to her and leaned in as much as he could without totally falling over on top of her. She met him the rest of the way and he pressed his mouth against the softest pair of lips in human history.

* * *

Rachel was fairly sure she'd died and that the stalled elevator was, in fact, heaven.

Finn's lips pressed against hers with just the right amount of pressure to make her heart thump in her chest, and she instinctively opened her mouth to accept the gentle strokes of his pliant tongue against her own.

His large, strong hands came up to cup her cheeks as the kissing intensified. Eventually she felt long fingers threading through her hair and she found herself clucthing the sides of his dress shirt to steady herself. They shifted so that she was leaning back against the wall, the soft moans and sighs escaping her throat as their chests brushed one another. Kissing him felt so _**good **_and she wasn't even embarrassed by her reaction.

They both gasped and jumped apart as the crackling of the speaker resumed. "Hello? Hello, elevator 2. Looks like the circuit breaker just needed to be reset. You should be moving any minute now."

Rachel took a few deep breaths as she gathered her belongings from around her and stood, using the mirrored elevator wall to fix her mussed hair and lipstick.

Now, she was embarrassed.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Finn standing as well, but avoided looking directly at him. Meanwhile, the elevator started moving.

"Go out with me? Tonight after work?"

She looked up to find him leaning against the wall next to her, delicious lips swollen from their heated makeout session and forming an adorably sheepish lopsided grin.

Her mouth curled into its own bright smile. "I'd love to."

Somehow her response made his grin even larger and he leaned down to kiss her once more, quickly, before the doors opened to her floor.

She took a deep breath and strode out, praying that the afternoon would go by quickly.

* * *

I'll love you forever if you review!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: By popular demand, this is continued. And the rating is now M. Same ownership disclaimers as last time. Also this chapter is unbetaed because I'm leaving for vacation in literally 10 minutes.

* * *

Rachel sat on a couch in the lobby of her dorm, trying not to fidget. It was a Saturday in mid-March, around noon, and Finn was due to pick her up any minute for an as-yet-undisclosed date of some kind.

It had been exactly three weeks and one day since they met in the elevator at work and went on their first date. Their workplace interactions were restricted to flirty smiles and warm hellos, but they'd also been out a few other times. Finn was very charming in an understated and unassuming fashion, and every time he looked at her she thought she might melt into a puddle. Moreover she was really enjoying getting to know him; for instance, she was elated to hear that he plays the drums and therefore possesses musical abilities. After one of their dates she convinced him to sing karaoke with her and their "Any Way You Want It" duet received a standing ovation from the rest of the patrons in the small dingy East Village bar.

That same night she also learned that he was an even better kisser when they weren't on the floor of a stalled elevator.

The development was an interesting twist to Rachel's otherwise routinized and predictable life. Compared to Finn's ordeal in high school her own adolescence had been a breeze. Everything came easily to her, and she was rewarded with accolades in both academics and performing arts. She had the utmost love and support of her two fathers, successful attorneys who were well-respected in their Long Island community. Rachel's competitive nature meant that she didn't have many close friends, but her peers only seemed concerned with petty gossip and pointless socializing that would cut into her rigorous-yet-fulfilling slate of extra-curricular activities. When she did have free time, she enjoyed spending time with her dads singing around their piano or seeing Broadway shows in the city. So she didn't really feel like she was missing out on anything worthwhile.

Not exactly the trials and tribulations that would make for a best-selling autobiography once she was famous, she had often lamented.

But the relative ease of her high school experience gave her a great deal of admiration for how hard Finn worked to get to New York, and his determination to do well in college. Pace wasn't among the highest-ranked institutions in the area, but the business school in particular had a good reputation for producing hard-working, practically-educated graduates. One evening she took the liberty of perusing some of the information on his school's career center website. Although she remained skeptical of their absolute authenticity, the statistics indicated that Finn would likely be gainfully employed upon completion of his studies.

(Perhaps this sort of research was premature, but Rachel found that curiosity often got the better of her.)

Her train of thought was interrupted by Finn's appearance in the lobby.

"Hey," he said as he approached her perch on the bench, brown eyes gleaming and grin a mile wide.

"Hi." She stood, zipping her jacket and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Finn hesitated for a brief second before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Mmm." It was the first time they'd kissed hello like that and she couldn't keep the little moan from escaping her throat.

"Ready?" he asked, slipping his hand around hers as they exited the building.

"Yep!" They turned left onto the sidewalk. "So where are we going, anyway?"

He smirked, his adorable grin turning lopsided. "You'll see."

* * *

"Finn, seriously! Where are we going?"

He laughed heartily. During their walk through the West Village Rachel had gotten more and more impatient about the secretive location where he was taking her. He liked being around Rachel so much and wanted to do something special in celebration of the end of midterms. She was always so energetic and peppy but he got the sense that she was super into her schedules and planned activities. Still, he didn't want the plans to backfire by irritating her with the secrecy part.

Luckily, they were almost at their destination.

"We're going… there." He pointed up to the large structure composed of ladders, platforms, flimsy metal swings, and safety netting.

"What? Is that a… trapeze?"

The astonished and intrigued look on her face is exactly what he'd been going for.

Just then the light changed in their favor. "Come on!" He tugged gently on her hand, leading her across West Street and towards the New York Trapeze School on Pier 40.

Once they checked in and sat through a safety presentation they were each given a harness to wear and led outside to the trapeze course. The instructors started up the ladder to the platform and told them to wait for the signal to climb up.

"You ready?" Finn asked, nudging Rachel's shoulder with his side.

"I certainly hope so!" she exclaimed. "That brief orientation cannot possibly be sufficient to have informed us of all the safety precautions or skills necessary to do this properly."

"Please." He rolled his eyes playfully. "You're all small and dainty and graceful, so you at least stand a chance at doing it okay. I'm completely prepared to look like a total oaf. And possibly injure myself."

She giggled and shook her head a little.

Since it was their first lesson they started off with the most basic skill – hanging from the swinging bar by their knees. Once they mastered that (hey, it was harder than it looks, trying to keep your balance on this fragile-looking metal bar while flying through the freaking air) they got to try a catch. _That _basically consisted of sticking your arms out and releasing your legs at just the right moment so that one of the instructors swinging from another bar could grab you.

Needless to say, Finn had a little trouble getting the timing of the whole thing down. But Rachel was more successful and he had just as much fun watching her squeal and swing through the air as though she'd been doing it her whole life.

"So… fun?" The sun was setting behind them as they left the trapeze school, hand in hand.

"Yes!" she said immediately before her usual pensive look returned to her face. "What made you want to do that?"

Finn shrugged and kept looking straight ahead as they walked. "Just something new and different. You were so stressed during your midterms so I figured it'd be nice."

Rachel blushed a little, tightening her grip on his hand. "Sorry if my test-mode intensity was at all off-putting. When grades are on the line I wish to leave no stone unturned! I promise I'm back to normal now."

"Hmm, well, I think it's okay now. You may have to let me buy you dinner, though. Just to make sure you've made it all the way back."

"That sounds like a good idea," she agreed slyly. "You know, just to be safe."

* * *

Rachel sighed as they walked in comfortable silence back towards her dorm after a lovely meal at her favorite little trattoria.

This was technically their fourth date, if they were counting the evening when Finn was in the neighborhood doing an errand and stopped by afterwards to join her and Santana for a quick dinner in the dining hall. (That night Rachel really felt more like she was hanging out with a significant other and less like she was on a "date," but she and Finn still hadn't discussed their relationship status.)

Prior to Rachel's departure for their surprise excursion that day, Santana offered to make herself scarce that evening, opining that regardless of what she and Finn were calling their relationship it was time for them to have sex. Rachel reacted to the crass statement with a gasp, and insisted that when she and Finn chose to have relations was none of Santana's business.

Now, though, the thoughts of her empty room crept into her mind.

They paused outside the entrance to the building and she turned to face him. He gazed down at her, smiling dreamily, his features illuminated by the flickering streetlamp.

Momentarily overcome with shyness, she found herself biting her lip until she summoned the nerve to speak.

"Do you want to come upstairs?"

Finn flinched a little, almost as though he was surprised at the invitation. Did he not realize how sweet and chivalrous (and insanely attractive) he was?

"Sure," he said, his grin widening slowly as he tightened his hand around hers.

They went through the fantastically annoying NYU-mandated ordeal of signing Finn in to the building as a guest before they boarded an elevator to her floor.

Her lip curled into a smile when she realized that it was the first time they'd been in an elevator together since the day they met.

A sideways glance revealed Finn smirking as well.

Having never brought a boy back to her room before she felt a pit of nervous excitement developing in her belly. She slipped her key into the lock and turned it, opening the door and flicking on the light to reveal a typical small dorm room with a desk, bed, dresser, and closet on either side. The space along the left was neatly organized, with very little clutter on the desk and dresser surfaces and a bed made up with a pink comforter and yellow throw pillows. Meanwhile, the other side was quite disheveled, papers scattered about the desk, makeup strewn on top of the dresser, and black comforter askew on the bed.

Rachel turned towards her closet as she shed her coat before placing it on a hanger. "I _know _I don't have any jurisdiction over her side of the room, but I wish that Santana would keep her area a little neater. It really—"

When she turned to face Finn, he immediately leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss, apparently content to dispense with any pretext to their activities.

She allowed herself to get lost in the moment, her heart surging as his tongue slipped past her parted lips. His fingertips gently cupped her cheek and his other hand settled at her waist while his mouth meshed with her own, over and over again.

When they needed to break apart simply for the sake of oxygen he pulled back a little, as if to give her an opportunity to slow things down. She responded by slipping her hands into the front of his jacket and easing it off of his shoulders. Once it fell to the floor she snaked her hands up to grip his neck, pulling him down to resume their urgent kissing and urging him backwards towards the foot of her bed. Without breaking the kiss he sat down and pulled Rachel close to him so she was standing between his parted knees.

Finn's hands snaked around her waist to her lower back and slipped under the hem of her shirt. She shivered at the feeling of his fingertips dancing across her skin and sank her hands into his hair.

The next time they needed air his lips left her mouth and traveled along her jawline to her neck, alternately nipping lightly at her pulse point and teasing it with his tongue.

"Mmm… _Finn_…" she gasped, her hands falling to his shoulders and fisting his polo shirt.

Apparently emboldened by the response, he began sliding his hands upwards, dragging the tips of his fingers along her sides at a torturously slow rate before his hands spread out and cupped her bra-clad breasts. After deftly massaging them through the material he groped around to her back, removing his lips from her neck and gazing up at her with lust-filled eyes.

"Can I?" he asked, tugging a little on the clasp.

"Please..." She didn't intend for her answer to sound like a whine, but apparently her own voice was no longer in her control.

Finn unhooked the offending garment and his hands crept beneath the loosened cups to grasp her breasts directly, holding each one in a large palm and lightly pinching her nipples.

The nervousness in her belly had given way to a growing heat rooted in her center and radiating outward. Operating purely on instinct, she placed one knee on the bed next to his lap, urging him to lay back. While doing so he also scooted upward towards her pillow so that she could splay herself atop him.

Once she was atop him he tentatively grasped the bottom hem of her blouse, eyes searching her own. She nodded, silently giving him permission to drag it up and over her head. A twinge of shyness returned when she was topless in view of his smoldering stare.

"Beautiful," he breathed, toying with a few strands of hair that lay across her collarbone.

Seeking turnabout as fair play, Rachel slipped a hand under the hem of his polo, snaking her palm up along his stomach and chest. He sat up on his bent elbows, allowing her to remove the shirt while he continued stroking her soft breasts.

By now she'd been on top of him for several minutes and a sizeable bulge had developed beneath her aching center. She growled lowly and ground herself against it, causing Finn to arch upward and groan.

Amidst his own arousal he glided his hands down Rachel's stomach and palmed her core, teasing her through her leggings. When she squirmed above him he escalated the ministrations, snaking his fingers into the waist of the thin pants and past the even less substantial barrier of her panties.

"_Ohhh_…" she breathed when a long finger teased her sensitive nub before sliding along her folds and into her slick center.

Somehow she was able to slide down his body and unbutton the fly on his jeans. He helped the effort along by kicking off his sneakers and socks, enabling her to rid him of his pants and boxers. His member pointed up at her and she wasted no time wrapping a hand around it and urging him to his full (impressive) length.

He sank his free hand into her hair and pulled her down for another urgent kiss, tongue probing her mouth and stealing her breath yet again.

"Finn… _please_…" she managed to articulate between kisses. "Condom... _mmm _... top drawer, behind you..."

Finn's breath hitched and he turned slightly, reaching into her dresser as instructed and handing her the foil packet.

(At the beginning of the school year Santana gave her a few "supplies… just in case you decide to live a little." To this point Rachel hadn't had any use for them, but at the moment it definitely seemed worth the wait.)

"A-are you sure?" he asked as she tore into the small square.

Their eyes remained locked for a beat before she nodded, slowly but assuredly.

It went quickly from there, with Rachel sheathing his length and positioning herself over it. Finn surprised her by surging upward, grasping her hips and groaning as he swiftly buried herself inside her.

"Ohh!" she cried, laying a hand on his stomach to steady herself as she rocked her hips to match his upward thrusts.

"God... Rachel..." Finn moaned, and she figured he must be close when he brought his hand around to her center and applied pressure in the form of a gradually quickening circle.

The action caused her already throbbing walls to tighten around him, the warmth in her loins overflowing and coursing through her limbs.

"Mmmph… _yes_… Finn…" Her whimpers mixed with his deep moans as she felt him seize below her, grasping her hips and thrusting upward erratically.

Once his movements ceased completely she dismounted and laid down next to him, the narrowness of the college-sized bed essentially forcing her to snuggle her head on his chest. One of his hands tangled in her hair as they caught their breath in the otherwise silent room.

"I'm really glad the elevator got stuck that day," he remarked cheekily after a few moments.

Rachel giggled, turning a little to look up into his adoring eyes. "Me too."

She leaned up to kiss him, enjoying the way his lips lingered sweetly on her own before she pulled her throw blanket over their bodies and they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

AN: There will probably be one more chapter. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Warning – pure fluff ahead.

Also, you're not hallucinating; I have in fact updated multiple fics in one day.

And Emily (**profitina**) is an angel for looking over two chapters' worth of my nonsense in one day.

*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o

Finn sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on the draft recording contract in front of him but failing miserably.

He looked at the clock. 5:30. Still a half-hour until Rachel would be stopping by the office before they went to dinner.

His eyes settled on a picture of them, taken right after his college graduation. She had her arms wrapped around him, eyes beaming with pride while he grinned like a dope in the square tassely hat.

Finn may have gotten to New York through his own hard work, but Rachel was definitely a big part of him making it through college. Seeing that she worked so hard at all of her stuff definitely encouraged him to keep doing the same, even when he felt like he was about to burn out or lose interest. She always encouraged him, insisting it was okay that he wasn't thrilled with the academic side of his education so long as he enjoyed the practical experience he got at his internship.

It definitely didn't hurt that she'd worked in the same office for a year, until she'd earned the maximum number of class credits for internships and moved on from the casting agency. Finn was fortunate enough to stick around with the affiliated music production firm, starting in the mailroom and working his way up to management intern. Despite his loyalty and dedication, he was still shocked when the company offered him a permanent post-grad job during his last semester of school. He knew the firm had been doing well, but he didn't expect his bosses to attribute the success to him being there.

Rachel had been so excited that night when he went over to her apartment to share the good news of the offer. (It wasn't the only _job _he'd received that day, he recalled with a smirk.)

That had been a little more than a year ago. Adjusting to a full-time work schedule wasn't easy, but it certainly helped that he was simply increasing his involvement in the same work with the same people, instead of starting somewhere completely new. And going home every night to Rachel and their shared post-college "grown-up" apartment didn't hurt either. Finn wasn't so great with words (other than telling her he loved her every chance he got) and other romantic stuff, but he tried to show her how much he loved her by working hard and paying for as many things as she'd allow.

A knock interrupted what seemed like his 47th attempt to read through the first paragraph of the contract. He looked up to see his boss, Bob, lingering in his office doorway. "Hey buddy, it's Friday, don't kill yourself over that thing," the middle-aged executive insisted. He was clearly heading home, holding a briefcase in one hand with his suit jacket slung over the other arm and his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"Yeah, I won't. Just looking it over until Rachel gets here."

"Ah, right," Bob nodded knowingly. "Have fun tonight. Tell her I said hello. And that next time she better stop by earlier in the day."

Finn laughed nervously. "I'll see what I can do."

He looked at the clock again and groaned when he saw that it was only 5:42.

*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o

Rachel sighed as she breezed out of the midtown office where she'd just auditioned for a role in the upcoming off-Broadway revival of The Sound of Music. She hoped her feelings of optimism were a good sign. It had been over a month since her last paid acting gig – a rather unimpressive cabaret dinner-theater revue.

To pay the bills, she worked part-time – weekday mornings, thankfully – at a nursery school, which she enjoyed enough as a means to an end. Her busy adolescence of rigorous academics and numerous extra curriculars had prepared her for the challenge of balancing the day job with her auditions and periodic acting gigs.

Finn had once mentioned that if it got to be too much she should quit the nursery school and focus on her auditions. Rachel put a stop to that discussion before it progressed, not wanting to become dependent on him for another few years, at least.

Of course, his willingness to provide for her financially as well as emotionally didn't go unnoticed. It meant so much that he wanted to support her in every way possible. Instead of going overboard on her dramatically verbose declarations of appreciation, she tried to surprise him by cooking his favorite meals and insisting that "I love you more" whenever he said "I love you."

She knew that her big break on Broadway could still be years away, but for the time-being she was just so happy to be living in New York City with her handsome and ambitious boyfriend.

The walk to his office was quicker than she'd expected, and she arrived a few minutes before her scheduled arrival time. During college "his office" was actually "their office," a fact she was reminded of when Herb and Dave, the afternoon/evening security workers, happily greeted her by name. She rode the elevator (elevator #2, in which they'd met, she thought with a smile) to the seventh floor and stepped out into the deserted reception area. Navigating her way past the front desk and back towards the management offices, she saw that the entire suite was darkened and empty save for Finn's office.

"Knock knock," she said quietly as she tapped on the doorframe and strode towards his desk.

"Hey!" Finn looked up from his screen and greeted her with a bright smile before leaning up to kiss her.

"Workin' hard?" She rubbed his shoulder affectionately.

"Just trying to get through this draft contract for one of our new clients," he explained, closing the document and shutting down his computer. "It can definitely wait 'til Monday, though."

"Sounds good to me," she said with a wink.

After Finn gathered his things they made their way back to the reception area and called for the elevator. After several minutes it still hadn't arrived, which wasn't really an issue since they were simply going to dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant in the West Village and it was early enough that they wouldn't need a reservation. Nonetheless, Finn seemed a bit unsettled, fidgeting uncomfortably as they waited.

"Are you okay?" she asked, clearly puzzled by his slightly agitated state.

Before he could answer her, the elevator finally arrived. Finn took her hand, offering her a tight smile as they stepped into it.

She reached for the button marked "L," and they began their downward descent into the lobby.

Meanwhile, Finn started fidgeting again.

Then, between the third and fourth floors, the elevator stopped suddenly.

"Oh no!" Rachel gasped. "I thought they'd fixed these old elevators years ago, after that time we got stuck!" She reached for the emergency call button, but Finn grabbed her wrist before she could push it.

When she turned toward him she realized that he was holding a small velvet cube in his other hand.

"Rachel…" he began, sinking to one knee with his eyes focused intently on her face. "I love you so, **so **much. You make every day of my life amazing and I have no idea what I would have done if we never met." His mouth twitched into a small smile, and she imagined he was recalling the fateful Friday sophomore year just as she was. "I know that you don't want me to, like, totally support you, financially. But please, _**please**_ marry me and let me love you forever."

He opened the box to display the ring and Rachel felt her eyes stinging with the most joyous of tears. "Yes, Finn. Nothing would make me happier."

A grin spread across his face as he placed the ring on her finger. Then he sprung up from his knee and cradled her face delicately in his hands, leaning down to place a searing kiss on her lips.

She allowed herself to get lost in the moment, wrapped up in the thoughtful, meaningful proposal he'd taken the time to put together and the glorious way his mouth pressed against hers while his fingers tickled the small of her back through her blouse.

"Mmmm… Finn…" she couldn't help but moan, turning her head slightly and gasping for air.

Aware that they were about to get entirely carried away in the moment, he pulled back a bit.

"Oh, hang on a sec." With that he reached for the emergency call button and tapped it quickly two times. "I told them I'd buzz twice if you said 'yes'," he explained sheepishly.

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "What were you going to do if I didn't say yes?" she asked playfully.

Finn smirked down at her. "I didn't have a plan for that," he answered honestly as the elevator started to move again.

"Very confident of you, mister," she teased.

"What can I say, you make me feel confident." He took her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I love you," he added as the doors opened.

"I love you more," she responded quietly as they walked into the lobby to the cheers from the front desk.

*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o*o_o

AN2: Definitely one more chapter on the way… :)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hello! Apparently my muse has returned. This chapter is rated M, and dedicated to Emily (**profitina**) who begged me write something like this a while ago. Unbetaed so please alert me of any errors. Also I still have no ownership interest in the Glee characters despite my undying love for them.

* * *

Finn cringed as Rachel studied a wooden dresser that someone had left on the sidewalk of a tree-lined brownstone street in their Harlem neighborhood.

"Ooooh we need this, it's perfect!"

It was a sweltering day in July, so unbearable that the air conditioner in their 5th-floor apartment was doing absolutely nothing to diminish the heat. They had no choice but to seek respite in the shade of Morningside Park for afternoon.

"But, uh, how are we going to get it home?" he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, dreading the answer he knew was coming.

"We'll carry it!"

Finn scoffed at her casual statement. "Really, Rach? You and me are going to carry this thing?"

Rachel huffed and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think I do when I go to the gym every morning? I'll have you know I'm a lot stronger than I look, mister." Then her resolve receded into a vulnerable pout. "Besides, we're only a block and a half from home, and you even admitted the other day that we could use another dresser…"

Finn sighed and studied the item again. It consisted of two columns of three drawers each, and _would_ fit nicely in the empty space along the wall in their bedroom, allowing them to put all of their clothes away instead of stacking some shirts and sweaters on top of their only existing dresser. Also, it was low enough that it could double as a TV stand, which would go a long way in his crusade to convince Rachel that having a set in the bedroom would be nice.

"Okay, fine," he offered, earning a mile-wide grin and a kiss on the cheek from his petite fiancée.

Finn having acquiesced, they each lifted one side and started down the street. To her credit, Rachel held her own in transporting the item. But the physical exertion had taken its toll; by the time they reached their building her bangs were sticking to her forehead, and dewy beads of perspiration had gathered on her neck. She looked totally hot (like, attractive, not just temperature-wise) in what she deemed her "extreme hot weather outfit" of tiny workout shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank top – no bra.

Luckily, they lived in a larger "pre-War" apartment building that, unlike the smaller brownstones, had an elevator. He couldn't imagine trying to lug the dresser up four flights of stairs in any weather, let alone in the ridiculous heat.

"Phew!" Rachel sighed loudly once they'd maneuvered the dresser into the small lift. She slid in beside the piece of furniture and draped her small body over the top of it in a dramatic display of physical exhaustion.

"Aww, it wasn't so bad," Finn said as he stepped in next to her, allowing the elevator doors to close. "You did a really good job carrying. Sorry I underestimated you." For good measure he flashed her a lopsided grin.

"Thank you," she said proudly, leaning up to place a soft kiss on his lips. "You're forgiven," she added with a cocky shake of her head, eyes sparkling amidst the glow of her flushed, tan skin.

Something about the way she looked in that moment – the little bit of attitude, the glow, the heat surrounding them – set him off.

He was usually pretty good about suppressing his desires until they were safe in private. But this time he couldn't wait.

"Finn!" Rachel exclaimed when he pulled the emergency stop button, but her cries were quickly silenced when he covered her mouth with his.

His tongue immediately slipped past her lips and sought out her own, urgently probing and sliding against it.

"Rach…" he moaned lowly when they separated for air.

Luckily he didn't need to say anything else to get his point across. She took the lead in resuming their hot, frantic kisses, sliding her hands underneath his t-shirt.

"We should be quick, though," she said matter-of-factly once his mouth left hers and began trailing rough kisses down her jaw and neck.

"Yeah," he breathed against her skin before nipping methodically at her favorite place just above her collarbone.

"Ooooh, Finn…" she purred, lightly scratching at his stomach.

For want of another way to maneuver in the confines of the elevator, he gripped Rachel's hips and hoisted her small body on top of their new piece of furniture. Once she was situated there he reattached his mouth to her neck and snaked a hand up her top to cup a bare breast, earning a breathy sigh when his fingers pinched her already-taut nipple.

A few seconds later he felt her tiny hand slip beneath his mesh basketball shorts and boxer-briefs to stroke his hardening cock.

"Guhh, Rach," he grunted, stilling her hand when the tension building in his loins grew too great.

Rachel bit her lip seductively as he dipped his fingertips into the waistband of her shorts. Then she leaned back on her elbows, allowing him to pull them down along with her underwear.

Finn cupped her exposed sex, teasing her just the way she liked by sliding one finger along her dripping slit. When he felt additional moisture pooling there he slipped the finger into her silky channel, continuing the gentle torture.

Panting, Rachel reached for his lower-body garments and shucked them down in one quick motion, exposing his stiff member. She deftly pumped him with her small (but strong!) hand until he pushed it away yet again.

Without any further preamble, Finn stepped forward slightly to align his length with her entrance.

"Mmmph," she whimpered as his length slid inside her.

"God, Rach." He gritted his teeth, hoping to control the intense arousal he was feeling as a result of their semi-public tryst.

Evidently on the same page, Rachel groaned his name and bucked forward. Moving her hands off of his shoulders, he placed them around the back of his neck, encouraging her to hold on. Then he gripped her hips tightly and, using the angle to his advantage, began moving in long, smooth strokes. When Rachel was close, her thighs tightening around his hips, he increased the speed of his movements until he was thrusting frantically.

"Ohhhh, Finn!" she sighed as she came, her walls fluttering around him and triggering his own delicious release.

They didn't say much as they hurriedly re-dressed and released the elevator from its stopped position. When it reached their floor, they carried the dresser down the hall to their apartment and into the bedroom. Even though all Finn wanted to do was take a shower (and maybe christen the new dresser again), Rachel insisted that they wipe down the drawers right away. Once that was done, they began moving articles of clothing into the newly-acquired space.

"Aren't you glad we found this dresser?" Rachel asked with a smirk, without looking up from her task.

"I guess you could say that," he answered, continuing to place his t-shirts into the top left-side drawer. "You know, I think someone on 122nd and 8th was throwing away a desk that would be really good—"

"Don't push your luck, Finn," Rachel warned, albeit good-naturedly.

"Fine..."

After all, he'd already lucked out in finding her.

* * *

AN2: There's been a big bed-bug epidemic in NYC in recent years so generally it's not wise to bring in furniture off the street, and I can't imagine sometime-germaphobe Rachel doing so, but I guess in this AU she's a little more mellow about that sort of thing. :)

Reviews = love!


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